“Dancing With the Stars”: Final Is Set

There was no shocking surprise tonight as “Dancing With the Stars” got down to three contestants for next week’s final.

As expected, Cody Linley, the youngest competitor ever on the show, was given his walking papers. That leaves a final made up of Brooke Burke, Warren Sapp and Lance Bass.

“Words can’t even explain the true, amazing, growing, learning journey that I’ve had on this show,” Linley, 18, said upon his dismissal. “I can’t show my appreciation any more to Julianne (Hough) â€¦ I just love her so much and this opportunity has been so amazing. …”

Linlkey, a cast member of “Hannah Montana,” improved and matured over the course of the show, but still wasn’t a consistent standout. He was also forced into a challenging situation when he had to dance without Julianne for nearly two weeks while the two-time champ recovered from surgery to remove her appendix. Edyta Sliwinska substituted for Julianne.

Burke, Bass and Sapp will hope their fancy footwork is enough to capture the gaudy mirror-ball trophy. On Monday, the celebrities will perform two routines, including a freestyle number. The Season 7 champ will then be crowned Tuesday.